Well seein as how I'm a Certified Old-Timer, sometimes (OK, a lot of times) I find myself reminiscing about good times back in the day. And this weekend I've been reminiscing about an event that from 2006-2009 was held on MLK weekend at the Crawfordville YMCA Camp (Camp Indian Springs), called Tour de Apalachicola. It was a KLR event, more or less, eating up a lotta bandwidth on the KLR forums, and the vast majority of bikes were KLRs--but make no mistake, everybody was welcome at TdA. Some gazoonie even brought his nanner-puddin yeller DRZ out there one year, and the KLRistas just stared in wild wonder

We had an "insider," Gerald, who goes by SugarSand here on ADV, and he was the Founder of the Feast, so to speak, by arranging for us to use the facilities all weekend long. Cabins, hot showers, chow hall, we had full use of the place. Here's Gerald with one of his super-friendly Dalmations, they ran around greeting everybody like it was their job

The chow hall doubled as a garage in the evenings, worklights were set up so that random KLRistas could check their valves, replace their doohickies etc. while other random KLRistas drank beer/observed/offered helpful advice & witty commentary. More entertaining than a movie, and cheaper, too. Cheap is important when ya ride a KLR

The chow hall was set up to accommodate about 100 people; we never lacked for space, or food--Gerald would get some chili going in these big stock pots, and we'd start throwing meat/beans/peppers/etc. in there; it always turned out good! And in the morning, there were donuts/coffee to get ya goin. TreeMan's face is positively lit up with excitement, that's how good the coffee was

Naturally we gave the Family Coastal Seafood Restaurant plenty of business for lunch; I had never been to the Family Coastal until TdA, and I sure am glad it was on the itinerary every year. The best fried mullet I've ever had in my life, and I ain't lyin!

Remember when gas was under $2/gallon? Sure ya do, it wasn't even that long ago

Tate's Hell was always on the itinerary too, some of these gazoonies (ahem JP)are guilty of wheelying thru Tate's Hell with wild abandon, which really wasn't as bad as it sounds, because Swampy was never there

None of these guys cared what ya rode--I mean, c'mon, KLRistas are not exactly the most discriminating people on the planet, just sayin'. Here JP lectures the KLRistas on the finer points of Ridin Red

More KLRs than you can shake a stick at. The value of all these bikes combined is close to ten thousand dollars!! That's a lotta money to a KLRista, ya know

Back in the cabins after a hard day of having fun, many beers are consumed and many stories, some of them true, are told

If this event was still going on I'd prolly be out there right now. Alas, the TdA rallies at the YMCA camp are nothing but memories now, but I'm glad I got to be a part of it. What does Dr. Seuss say about this: Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. Amen, brother.

Gerald, if yer reading this, thank you for opening the camp up for us those four years; I sure had some great times out there and I ain't the only one by a long shot!

__________________
*FAIL*

Everything I really needed to know, I learned in Schneider School.

Official Organizer of the ADVrider Sandbox Hooligans Anti-FEE Movement

Quoth the Photojournalist: Am I gonna be the one that's gonna set them straight? Look at me--WRONG!

He's got some of the basics down, but, in the end, that just has to create a bigger clusterfuck in that chinese fire drill of a cognitive thought he brought to the dog and pony show of his new found awareness. - Jack Goff

Inept... even though it's no longer held at the Y... there's a TdA happening sometime in February and Ed & Bernice's Fish Camp near Tally.

I went a couple of years ago and got attacked by voracious mutant fire ants.

Fixt

Yeah, I know the event is now held at Ed & Bernice's, but somehow it ain't quite the same, and I kinda lost the fire to attend. I might have thought about going out there this year (last weekend of Feb.) just to see what it's like at the fish camp, but TreeMan's shindig is the first weekend of March and it takes precedence.

__________________
*FAIL*

Everything I really needed to know, I learned in Schneider School.

Official Organizer of the ADVrider Sandbox Hooligans Anti-FEE Movement

Quoth the Photojournalist: Am I gonna be the one that's gonna set them straight? Look at me--WRONG!

He's got some of the basics down, but, in the end, that just has to create a bigger clusterfuck in that chinese fire drill of a cognitive thought he brought to the dog and pony show of his new found awareness. - Jack Goff

I don't reckon the fire ants will be so bad in February--but ya never know. If there's a cold front coming thru there could very well be subfreezing temps out there at night...and fire ants, like yers truly, don't do well in the cold!

__________________
*FAIL*

Everything I really needed to know, I learned in Schneider School.

Official Organizer of the ADVrider Sandbox Hooligans Anti-FEE Movement

Quoth the Photojournalist: Am I gonna be the one that's gonna set them straight? Look at me--WRONG!

He's got some of the basics down, but, in the end, that just has to create a bigger clusterfuck in that chinese fire drill of a cognitive thought he brought to the dog and pony show of his new found awareness. - Jack Goff

Just got back from hearing Benka Pulko's stories at our local BMW dlrship. Wow, that girl's got some guts! Sure did enjoy seeing her pics and hearing about her adventures. Was also good to see some FFs I haven't seen in a long while...I woulda taken some pics, but I forgot my camera

__________________
*FAIL*

Everything I really needed to know, I learned in Schneider School.

Official Organizer of the ADVrider Sandbox Hooligans Anti-FEE Movement

Quoth the Photojournalist: Am I gonna be the one that's gonna set them straight? Look at me--WRONG!

I tell ya what POGs, I'm a big fan of this retro movement amongst car and bike manufacturers. The retro-look Camaro, Challenger, Mustang, I like 'em all. I really dig that Triumph Scrambler. And this new Norton, well they purty well knocked it outta the ballpark IMO:

And it's got some balls to back up the looks, too. That's what I'm talkin about

__________________
*FAIL*

Everything I really needed to know, I learned in Schneider School.

Official Organizer of the ADVrider Sandbox Hooligans Anti-FEE Movement

Quoth the Photojournalist: Am I gonna be the one that's gonna set them straight? Look at me--WRONG!